CN103998810A - Switchable water pump with double friction plate drive - Google Patents

Abstract

An electromagnetic clutch comprising: a rotary input or pulley; and a rotary output or drive shaft. A hub cover is coupled to the pulley and includes an inner contact surface adjacent to the outer friction plate or clutch plate for rotation with the output member. An armature plate is axially movable relative to the input member and biased to a position engaging the clutch plate and the hub cap for transferring torque from the pulley to a drive shaft. An automatically energized actuator converts rotational motion of the input member or pulley into linear movement of the armature plate to further engage the clutch. The automatic energization actuator includes a biasing member that urges relative rotation between the armature plate and one of the input member and the output member to engage the armature plate and the clutch plate. An electromagnet is used to axially move the armature plate away from the friction plate to disengage the clutch plate from the hub cover, thereby disengaging the input force from the pulley. The clutch plates are splined to the drive shaft so as not to impede axial movement of the clutch plates on the drive shaft.

Description

Switchable water pump with double friction plate drive

Cross-references to related applications

This application claims U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/512,214, filed July 27, 2011, in the name of Darrell Greene, entitled "Shifting Water Pump with Dual Friction Plate Drive"; entitled "Clutch Apparatus with Integrated Motor" Priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/512,220; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/512,160, entitled "Energizing Elements for Clutches," which are incorporated herein by reference. the

field

The present invention relates to a clutch mechanism for use with a pump unit. In particular, it relates to a selectively operable, automatically actuated clutch mechanism which may be particularly adapted for use in a water pump of a lubrication system in an internal combustion engine of a vehicle.

background

Generally, an internal combustion engine is provided that includes a pump unit to pump fluid through the engine, such as by operating a water pump to pump coolant through the engine to transfer heat from the engine, typically for incompressible fluids like oil and water The pump is a gear pump or a vane pump. In an environment like an automotive engine system, where the power output (such as a belt pulley) is used to operate the pump, the pump will need to operate over a wide range of speeds, as the engine operating speed changes, the pump changes speed, resulting in a change in output. changes and changes in the output pressure at which fluid exits the pump.

In the above devices, an electromagnetic clutch is generally provided to selectively operate the pump. For example, the device described in International Patent WO2010/148507(Al), published December 29, 2010; International Application PCT/CA/2010/000978, filed June 21, 2010, co-inventor Darrell F. Greene , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The clutch of international application PCT/CA/2010/000978 has particular applicability, but there is still a need to continue improving the device. In particular, the clutch arrangement and the water pump unit of this international application include a less than ideal and affected tolerance stack-up. Additionally, the shaft rotation of the hub (outer or outer bearing) and drive plate (inner or bearing) is less than ideal due to tolerances. Due to the difference in rotational speed between the input and output, it can cause the drive plate to rotate around the hub which is seen as clutch "slip". Furthermore, in the clutch device disclosed in the international application PCT/CA/2010/000978, the press-fitting of the clutch plate on the transmission shaft relative to the hub cannot ensure that the friction surfaces are completely parallel. This can cause uneven contact pressure on the pads, which can lead to reduced capacity or slippage. In addition, assembly of the device disclosed in International Application PCT/CA/2010/000978 is difficult because the position of the output clutch plate along the length of the transmission shaft is important in setting the gap between the input member and the electromagnet. If the clearance is too large, the clutch unit may exhibit lower performance when out of engagement. Accordingly, there is a need to improve the ease of assembly of clutch assemblies during manufacture while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and consistent tolerance clearances for electromagnetic assemblies and clutch assemblies.

Contents of the invention

This section is intended to illustrate the subject matter of the present invention, but it does not disclose all its scope or all its characteristics comprehensively. In an exemplary embodiment, an electromagnetic clutch is proposed, comprising: a rotary input or drive or a pulley; a rotary output or drive or a transmission shaft. In one exemplary embodiment, a hubcap may be coupled to a rotary input or pulley and includes an inner contact surface adjacent to an outer friction or clutch plate for rotation with an output or drive shaft. An armature plate is axially movable relative to the input member and biased toward a position that engages the clutch plate and the hubcap for transferring torque from the pulley to the drive shaft. An automatically energized actuator that converts rotational motion of the input member or pulley into linear movement of the armature plate further engages the clutch. The self-energizing actuator includes a biasing member that urges relative rotation between one of the input member and the output member and the armature plate to engage the armature plate and the clutch plate. An electromagnet is used to axially move the armature plate away from the friction plate to disengage the clutch plate from the hubcap and thereby disengage input force from the pulley.

The clutch arrangement disclosed herein is particularly applicable to engines in automobiles as part of a water pump. The clutch device disclosed herein is also applicable to other devices, particularly vehicles using power output from the engine, such as conveyor belts for driving other accessories such as oil pumps or alternators. Furthermore, the field to which this invention is applicable will become clear from the following detailed description. Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and unless otherwise specified, they are not limited to the scope disclosed herein.

Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an electromagnetic clutch device according to one embodiment, wherein the clutch device can be connected with a part of a typical water pump device for use with an engine of an automobile.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the electromagnetic clutch device according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 .

Specific instructions

With reference to conventional features, it can be seen that Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show a newly designed electromagnetic clutch mechanism or device, which can be connected with a water pump (partially shown) of an engine (not shown) in a vehicle or an automobile (not shown). out), especially for engines (not shown) in passenger vehicles (not shown). Although this electromagnetic clutch device is particularly used in a water pump (partially shown) of an engine (not shown) in a passenger vehicle (not shown), it can also be applied to other similar devices, such as pumps, where the input torque is controlled and transferred to the rotary unit.

The electromagnetic clutch device can be coupled with the casing 8 of the water pump (partially shown) to rotate the impeller 1 of the water pump, which can be coupled with one end of the output member of the transmission shaft 3, supported by the lower bearing 4 and the upper bearing 6 in the shell 8. the

The clutch device of the present invention does not require bolts at the end of the drive shaft 3 to couple the drive disc 22 of the clutch device to the drive shaft 3 , but allows the drive disc 22 to float along the length of the drive shaft 3 via the splines 10 . The armature or inner plate 20 can be biased towards the engaged position by the ball ramp ring 13 and with the bias spring 17 to engage the clutch assembly, thereby transferring the torque applied to the pulley 24 and the hub 12 to the drive shaft 3 through the clutch assembly . When it is desired or necessary to disengage the clutch arrangement, any known or suitable type of controller (not shown) signals the solenoid coil 15, energized to move the armature or the inner friction plate 20 away from the engaged position, whereby the outer friction plate 23 There will be no engagement with the dust cap 26 so that torque will not be transferred to the drive shaft 3 and via the impeller 1 on the load of the pump.

The improved clutch mechanism of the present invention has the advantage of offloading the function of controlling the gap length of the clutch mechanism to an existing component, the dust cap 26 (ie, eliminating the stack-up of tolerances associated with many components in other designs). Since the surface of the output member or drive plate 22 or the friction plate 23 is pressed against the inner surface of the dust cover 26, the above-mentioned tolerance stack-up problem can be effectively eliminated. Thus, the design of the electromagnetic clutch shown in Figures 1 and 2, since the output member or drive plate 22 and its friction plates 21, 23 and hub cover 26 are coupled to the hub 12, sets the clearance of the clutch mechanism and therefore can be more Good to correctly and consistently control clutch mechanism backlash and associated tolerance stack-up. Thus, the output member or drive plate 22 may be squeezed between the input member or armature 20 and the hub cover 26 to engage the clutch mechanism.

Further, the installation of the clutch mechanism designed by the present invention is relatively simple. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the output member or drive plate 22 may simply be disposed on a splined bushing 10 placed along the drive shaft 3 and coupled via a spring clip 11 (eg, via fasteners or other suitable simple and effective connection) to the hub 12, and the pulley 24 is also coupled to the hub 12. Since the dust cap 26 can be mounted directly to the hub 12, the length and clearance can be more easily controlled, significantly improved, and the electromagnetic coil 15 can operate with a consistent clearance.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , in the clutch mechanism of this embodiment, input torque from the pulley 24 may be transferred to the hub 12 and then to the hub cover 26 to the clutch mechanism. This torque can be transferred from both sides of the clutch plate 22 to the load (ie impeller 1 and pump) via the drive shaft 3 . This clutch mechanism may include an inner side connected to the ball ramp ring 13 and an outer side connected to the hub cover 26 . In this embodiment, when the friction interfaces on both sides of the clutch mechanism (inner and outer) are the same, torque will be balanced or shared equally. In this exemplary embodiment, the sensitive ball ramps of the ball ramp ring 13 are only subjected to half the force compared to clutch mechanisms of the one-sided type.

It is worth noting that only torque transferred via the friction interface of the clutch mechanism on the inside (ie, ball ramp) associated with the armature or inner friction plate 20 can be converted into a pinch inside the clutch mechanism. When both sides are equally clamped, the friction plate or drive plate 22 floats between the input and output friction surfaces (it does not restrict axial movement on the drive shaft).

In another embodiment, the inner friction plate 21 and the outer friction plate 23 may have different coefficients of friction, so as to optimize the operation of the clutch. For example, in another exemplary embodiment, the outer friction plate 23 can have a lower friction coefficient than the inner friction plate 21, and is used to generate power on the ball ramp 13, although it is similar to the one-sided friction clutch mechanism, but in fact The advantages of this design are maintained in that no axial forces are loaded on the bearings 4, 6 supporting the propeller shaft 3.

In this example, as the torque increases and the balls override the biasing force of the spring 17, the clamping force of the clutch mechanism provided by the ball ramp 13 may be relatively high, but the torque is not evenly shared (the torque held by the inner plates 21 is more big). According to a preferred approach, the outer plates 23 may be allowed to "pre-engage" the clutch mechanism (ie, provide a clutch mechanism with soft or "two-stage" engagement) before the inner plates 21 receive substantial torque. Thus, clutch mechanisms according to embodiments may be used to limit and reduce unwanted noise during engagement of the clutch mechanism. It is also to be understood that the design can be achieved by using different coefficients of friction, ie by using different materials or geometries, especially the inner radius of the friction ring.

The outer friction plate 23 can be prepared with a higher coefficient of friction to reduce the moment held by the inner friction plate 21 and the pinch (and thus the force on the ball ramp 13 ) is also reduced. Initial calculations show that the overall dynamics of the clutch mechanism and the automatic adjustment of the system have unexpected potential benefits. When the clamping force of the clutch mechanism decreases, if the performance of the outer friction plate 23 increases proportionally, the maximum torque of the clutch mechanism will not be reduced.

Any value or figure stated herein is meant to include all values from a lower value to an upper value in increments of one unit such that there is a separation of at least 2 units between any lower value and any upper value . As an example, when the number of components or process variable values, such as temperature, pressure, time, etc., are set to 1-90, preferably 20-80, more preferably 30-70, which means something like 15-85, Values such as 22-68, 43-51, 30-32, etc. are specifically listed in this specification. For values that are less than 1, one unit can refer to 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, or 0.1. The specific indications above are only examples, and all possible numerical combinations between the enumerated lower and upper limit values are considered to apply in an analogous manner to the present application. Here, the quantity expressed as "parts by weight" may also mean percent by weight to indicate the same range. Therefore, the range of "polymer mixing composition at 'x' weight percent" shown in the detailed description of the present invention may also refer to the polymer mixing composition at "x" weight percent, indicating the same range.

Unless otherwise stated, all ranges include both endpoints and all numbers between the endpoints. "About" or "approximately" is used to indicate that within a range, it applies to both endpoints of that range. Thus, "about 20-30" means "about 20 to about 30," inclusive of at least the specified endpoints.

All contents and references of the foregoing description, including patent applications and publications, are hereby incorporated by reference. Herein, "is used to describe that the basic composition of a combination shall include certain elements, materials, components or steps, and other elements, materials, components or steps will not substantially affect the basic characteristics and novelty of the combination. It is used herein The "comprising" and "comprising" are used to describe the combination of elements, materials, components or steps, and can also mean that the embodiment is basically composed of elements, materials, components or steps. "May" used here means any The specified attribute can optionally be included.

Multiple elements, materials, components, or steps may be provided by one integrated element, material, component, or step. Alternatively, an integrated element, material, component or step may also be divided into a plurality of separate elements, materials, components or steps. The use of "a" or "one" herein to describe an element, material, component or step does not exclude additional elements, materials, components or steps.

As above, although the present invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and those who have ordinary knowledge in the field of the present invention can make various modifications within the scope of the above description. modification and deformation. Accordingly, modifications by one skilled in the art will be defined by the scope of the appended claims. All contents and references of the foregoing description, including patent applications and publications, are hereby incorporated by reference. Any technical content omitted in the claims disclosed herein shall not be regarded as a disclaimer of the technical content, nor shall it be understood that the inventor did not consider the technical content as a part of the disclosed technical content.

Claims (19)

1. for optionally engaging a clutch mechanism for input component and output member, described clutch mechanism comprises:

Clutch plate, be configured to described input component and described output member in a rotation;

Armature plate, axially moves with respect to another in described input component and described output member;

Automatically energising actuator, with described input component coupling, converts rotatablely moving of described input component to the Linear-moving of described armature plate;

Actuator, is coupled to described output member, and described actuator comprises at least one friction plate; With

Hub cap, rotation is coupled to described input component, and defines the gap of described clutch mechanism.

2. clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprises water pump vane, is coupled to described actuator.

3. clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or 2, water pump carrys out pump water by the cooling system in engine, and described water pump comprises described clutch.

4. clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprises pulley, is coupled to the described actuator of described clutch.

5. clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, described actuator tool routine discoid, and described output member is the transmission shaft with axial splines, and described discoid actuator comprises spline, rotation is coupled to described transmission shaft.

6. clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein, described spline is coupled between described transmission shaft and described actuator, does not limit described actuator moving axially on described transmission shaft.

7. clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1, described actuator and described output member are coupled by splined sleeve, do not limit described output member moving axially with respect to described transmission shaft.

8. clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 1, described actuator and described output member are coupled by splined sleeve, do not limit described output member with respect to the moving axially of described transmission shaft, and described splined sleeve are coupled to described transmission shaft by spring clip.

9. clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 8, further comprises pulley, is coupled to described hub cap.

10. clutch mechanism as claimed in claim 9, wherein, described hub cap comprises dust cover, is directly installed on hub, reduces length and gap and improves the control force of described clutch mechanism.

11. 1 kinds of magnetic clutchs, comprising:

Rotation input component;

Include the rotation output member of transmission shaft;

Clutch plate, is coupled to described transmission shaft by splined sleeve, does not limit described clutch plate moving axially with respect to described transmission shaft;

Armature plate, axially moves with respect to another in described input component and described output member;

Automatically energising actuator, rotatablely moving of described input component converted to the Linear-moving of described armature plate, wherein, described automatic energising actuator comprises bias piece, impel relatively rotating between another and the described armature plate in described input component and described output member, engage described armature plate and described clutch plate, in the time that described input component is driven, described automatic energising actuator provides additional clutch engaging force, described automatic energising actuator also comprises electromagnet, axially mobile described armature plate, departs from described armature plate and described clutch plate.

12. magnetic clutchs as claimed in claim 11, wherein, described splined sleeve is coupled to described transmission shaft by spring clip.

13. clutch mechanisms as claimed in claim 12, wherein, described rotation input component comprises pulley and is coupled to the hub cap of described pulley.

14. clutch mechanisms as claimed in claim 13, wherein, described hub cap comprises dust cover, is directly installed on hub, reduces length and gap and improves the control force of described clutch mechanism.

15. magnetic clutchs as described in any one in claim 11 to 14, pump comprises described magnetic clutch.

16. magnetic clutchs as described in any one in claim 11 to 14, water pump carrys out pump water by the cooling system in engine, and described water pump comprises described magnetic clutch.

17. water pumps as claimed in claim 4, comprise pulley, are coupled to the described actuator of described clutch.

18. clutches as described in any one in the claims, further comprise biased member, and described actuator bias voltage is engaged to described output member.

19. 1 kinds of clutches, comprising: be arranged on the electromagnetic coil in described clutch; With with the armature of automatic energising actuator coupling, wherein, in the time that moving to the direction contrary with the biasing force of biased member, described electromagnetic coil makes described armature energising, and the power that suppresses described automatic energising actuator departs from described clutch, thereby the moment that is applied to described input component can not transferred to described output member.